https://np.reddit.com/r/history/comments/3doi4g/how_was_the_average_german_soldier_in_wwii/ct7ab6q

While the Wehrmacht committed some horrible atrocities, generalising an army that consisted of millions of conscripted men, who were indoctrinated and forced to fight or else face appalling consequences as a criminal organisation seems harsh. If you were born and raised in Germany during the interwar period, you almost certainly would have gone off to war in 1939. Would you have committed war crimes? I would like to think not; but the average german soldier was not some monstrous savage killer, he was just a man fighting for something he believed in, just as allied forces believed that fascism must be stopped.

---

There is also the question of how much atrocity is just a function of a military in a world war situation in the 1930s-40s before you even add in the Nazi element. All armies in WW2 committed vast atrocities by modern standards, with the Germans and Japanese being the worst of the bunch, with the Soviets close behind. Nazi ideology clearly had an effect, but for the average soldier how much was it the Nazi influence vs. the radicalization from WW1, the intensity and cruelty of war in general that increases over time (Germany fought longer than anyone but the Japanese), and the lack of empathy created by being on the losing side of a nasty war as the war is being lost?

---

I must say I haven't read such a hilariously deluded piece of fiction in quite a while.

What? Holding the Wehrmacht accountable for it's crimes?

"Every Wehrmacht-Soldier was a Anti-semitic and criminal fascist, who fully supported the Slaughter of Jews and other Minorities and joyfully commited war crimes that soldiers of other nations would totally never commit, because reasons"

Sounds legit to me.

---

I don't believe the choice was theirs to make a lot of the time. I think the notion that there was often a gun at their head is more figurative than literal. To disobey orders was to put your own life and the lives of your family at risk

---

What I find the funniest is every single time Dux responds to someone with a logical reply they just give some contrived ass emotional plea. For instance:

You could get an exemption from killing duties, hell, most of the time it was volunteers! Their families were never at risk, they chose to act as they did. EDIT: Himmler even recognized that the killings would barbarize the Einsatzgruppen, which is why they made the move towards gas chambers at the Wannsee Conference.

So the german soldiers were more evil than other nations soldiers?

Like how the fuck do they think that is an appropriate reply? Jesus Christ.

We go into new parts of the thread. This is more /r/badhistory but still fits with the theme of the thread:

They're just humans man. People who where forced to fight a war cause by the inability to solve problems from WW1.